​News and Events 

• It's come to PDE's attention that PA Department of Agriculture has policies that would apply to some food pantries on campus, in certain instances. Please see the following circumstances. If you are practicing the second or third scenarios, you should make sure your food pantry is in compliance with the policies.
  • If the food pantry is simply bundling prepacked, unopened, goods, it would be exempt from licensing requirements;
  • If the food pantry is opening and portioning ready-to-eat / ready-to-heat & eat, and/or processing foods for portioning (aka, making meal kits) distributed direct to consumer, it would need a Retail license;
  • If the food pantry is processing foods for distribution to other food pantry locations prior to reaching the end consumer, it would need a Food Establishment license.
    
  If your institution is a PA Hunger-Free Campus and you receive the HFC grant, you may use these finds for any costs associated with obtaining the appropriate license, if necessary. If you have questions, please reach out to Darrin Youker, Policy Director at the Department of Agriculture, dyouker@pa.gov. 
  
  
• Register for The PA Collegiate Basic Needs Dialogue Roundtable